Project Summary. The goal of this Shared Instrumentation Grant application is to provide nanoparticle tracking analysis to the San Diego research community via a MANTA ViewSizer 3011. This equipment will allow us to measure the following features of nanoparticles: 1) size and size distributions, 2) zeta potential, 3) concentration (nanoparticles/mL), and 4) size/count/charge kinetics. This approach works for both natural nanoparticles (exosomes, viruses) as well as synthetic nanoparticles (inorganic, plasmonic, and polymeric nanoparticles). This system also allows gated counting of unique nanoparticle subsets based on gravity or optical labeling. This system analyzes nanoparticles individually in contrast to the ensemble averaging techniques used in light scattering. It also has very high throughput compared to electron microscopy. There is no instrumentation for nanoparticle tracking analysis of nanoparticle counting in San Diego, and this tool will relieve significant stress on our electron microscopy and light scattering tools. Our user base (8 users; 13 funded grants) are developing nanoparticle tools to improve disease detection and management. Adding these new tools will help them better understand these products and prepare them for clinical trials. This system also has a broad utility with exosomes and viruses and can gate these particle subtypes from other interfering species based on fluorescence labeling. This system will ultimately impact human disease by offering physicians better drug delivery vehicles, stem cell scaffolds, in vitro tests, and imaging agents. UC San Diego offers institutional support including space in a materials research recharge facility and matching funds from the Engineering School for the service contract. The NIH-funded studies that will take advantage of this equipment include work in drug delivery (Drs. Eckmann, Jokerst, and Zhang), regenerative medicine (Drs. S. Chen, Christman, Jokerst, and Lipomi), and imaging (Drs. Jokerst, Kummel, and Zhang). We also have a major user (Dr. Chen) studying extracellular vesicles/exosomes, and the MANTA system offers very accurate counts of this challenging analyte. This equipment will not only increase the impact of our NIH-funded research, but also increase the ability to clinically translate many of these powerful nanoparticle tools. This in turn will seed new projects and grant applications in the fields of cancer, regenerative medicine, cardiology, inflammation, and neurology.